Friday, April 16, 2004

Phillies get first victory in Citizens Bank Park
PHILADELPHIA Mike Lieberthal hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning Thursday, rallying the Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds for their first win at Citizens Bank Park.

Baseball honors Jackie Robinson
NEW YORK As a boy, Bud Selig went to Wrigley Field to watch a rookie named Jackie Robinson. More than a half-century later, the memory still sticks with the commissioner.

Astros sweep series from Cardinals
ST. LOUIS Wade Miller won his fifth consecutive start against St. Louis and Lance Berkman homered for the second straight game, leading the Houston Astros over the Cardinals 11-1 Thursday for a three-game sweep.

Chicago notches sweep of Royals
CHICAGO Magglio Ordonez hit a one-out home run in the the 10th inning to give the Chicago White Sox a 6-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday and a three-game series sweep.

Railroad records strong profits
ANCHORAGE (AP) Alaska Railroad Corp. is reporting much stronger-than-expected revenues of $127 million last year, resulting in a sizable profit for the state-owned railroad.

Store owner specializes in custom undergarments
Size matters.
Make that sizes plural.
For a bra to fit, both the cup and band size matter.
But what does a woman do if she isn't built to slip into the off-the-rack models offered by department and lingerie stores?

Investors' focus solidly on jobs
NEW YORK (AP) What a one-track mind investors seem to have lately. They're clamoring for any updates on the health of the job market, while they're willing to discount almost everything else.

Airport project nearing finish
ANCHORAGE After years of delays and cost overruns, construction of a new concourse at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport will be completed in time for the bulk of this summer's tourist traffic.

Hooligan return to Alaska waters
JUNEAU Spring is here, and along with it comes a parade of events along the coast of southeastern Alaska that prepares many species for the months to come. One of those events is the annual spring-spawning runs of eulachon that occurs in numerous rivers, from March until May.

Eulachon should hit Kenai River soon
Eulachon, also known as hooligan, generally enter the Kenai River in large schools in mid-May, often chased by seals, sea lions and beluga whales.

New SoHi play offers escape from ordinary
A domestically challenged housewife with an overactive imagination, a henpecked husband embarrassed about his bald spot, a fancy dessert seldom made in Alaska, a nun with a taste for drambuie and a gigantic ape.

Memoir ponders Prince William Sound
Prince William Sound, famed for its wild beauty, suffered its own day of infamy March 24, 1989, when the "Exxon Valdez" oil spill made it a symbol of manmade environmental catastrophe.

What's Happening
Best BetsEvents and ExhibitsEntertainmentUpcoming EventsFilmsDown the RoadAnchorage Events

Sales tax proposal blasted
JUNEAU State Sen. Ben Stevens sparred with local government officials on Wednesday over his plan to impose a statewide sales tax in Alaska.

Governor backs fund plan
JUNEAU As time begins to run out on the Legislature, Gov. Frank Murkowski called on lawmakers to let voters decide whether to use a portion of the Alaska Permanent Fund to balance the state budget.

Big oil firms get away with whatever is in their interest
It's been 15 years since the Exxon Valdez oil spill blow-off and the mighty Exxon still has no double-hulled tankers in which to carry the revered, yet damaging, oil through whatever waters it chooses in Alaska. Other oil companies have accomplished this goal, and it isn't as if the Exxon got fined into bankruptcy. It stil doesn't pay taxes.

Letter seen as personal attack on those serving in Iraq
This is in response to the gentlemen who was attacking the establishment on flag display. Sir, no one knows respect or patriotism more than my family. I have a son in the Marines in the Fallujah and Ramadi area, you are attacking every single person there, without all the facts. Perhaps there was a more courteous way to handle your concern. I took your comments very personally.

Support for D.A.R.E. program benefits entire community
The Kenai Police Department and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District have worked cooperatively for the past 13 years to teach fifth-grade students the D.A.R.E. program at Mountain View Elementary School in Kenai.

New boss happy with Spencer
Jimmy Spencer earned the nickname ''Mr. Excitement'' early in his racing career for his hard-charging, rough-and-tumble driving style.

The business side of racing
MARTINSVILLE, Va. The cost of racing and a lack of sponsorship put Brett Bodine out of business. Now his job is to help steer others from the same fate.

Ford team working on new cylinder head
MARTINSVILLE, Va. Ford has been working overtime since NASCAR approved a new cylinder head for the 2004 season. Robert Yates Racing, which builds engines for Ford teams on the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, hopes to have the new cylinder head, which is supposed to give the Taurus more power, ready in the next month.

Precautions reduce risk of identity theft
A recent security breach on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District's Web site has caused concern for several teachers whose Social Security numbers may have been available to the general public.

Girl, 16, rescued from ice
A 16-year-old runaway was rescued from an ice floe bobbing in the mouth of the Kenai River on Wednesday evening by the very official personnel she was trying to evade.

Photo feature: Facing tax deadline
Brandy deLeon gingerly thumbs through tax forms at the Kenai library yesterday afternoon. Librarians said there were less people coming in at the last minute than in previous years.

Photo feature: Dusting off the city
Kyle Wisnewski clears winter gravel from the lawn in front of Kenai Veterinary Hospital on Wednesday afternoon. He said he was doing the work as a community service project for the Civil Air Patrol.

CAP stays ready for emergencies
The Kenai Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol will hone its search and rescue skills with three separate practice operations around the Kenai Peninsula this weekend.

Murkowski, Knowles make stops on Kenai Peninsula
Republican incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski and her likely Democratic Party challenger, former Gov. Tony Knowles, recently kicked off their campaigns for the U.S. Senate, including visits to the Kenai Peninsula in search of voter support.

Business forum slated for Friday
The best and brightest in local business ideas will be discussed Friday at Kenai Peninsula College during the annual Kenai Peninsula Opportunities Forum, sponsored by the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District.

Daniel Leland Knackstedt
Longtime Alaska resident Daniel Leland Knackstedt died Monday, April 12, 2004, in Sparks, Nev., from cancer with his family at his bedside. He was 52.

Area volunteers earn recognition
On Thursday, First Lady Nancy Murkowski recognized the efforts of 13 of the state's finest volunteers including James "Monty" Montgomery of Kenai. "A North Slope worker, Jim dedicates his regular two weeks of R and R to helping others," according to information about the awards program. Mr. Montgomery's story is scheduled for Monday's Peninsula Clarion.

Athens may need other nations' help for Games' security
The Olympics in Athens this summer were always going to be a difficult enterprise. The city was selected for the 2004 Games in part out of guilt that it had been rejected in favor of Atlanta for the centenary event in 1996, more than absolute confidence that it could manage efficiently. ...

Denali Institute to offer seminars
The Denali Institute will ofeer 10 University of Alaska Fairbanks-accredited field seminars and teacher trainings this summer in Denali National Park. Seminars and trainings will be conducted by Alask

Refuge accepting YCC job applications
The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is accepting applications for summer Youth Conservation Corps jobs. Youth 15-18 years old who live in or have lodging available in the local commuting area are eligible.

Snow birds: Gulls migrate a long way to summer on the peninsula
Spring has finally sprung and the first migrant birds have returned to the Kenai Peninsula. Many people would assume the first migrant species is a robin or maybe a Canada Goose. Actually, the goose is a very good guess and would net you the No. 2 spot in the migration game.

Around the Peninsula
PenDOG offers video night
Food bank seeking donations
Historical society to meet
Little League registration deadline Saturday
Petting farm available at Home Show
CPGH to offer childbirth classes
Preschool to hold fund-raiser
Head Start to hold fund-raiser
Dance fund-raiser set in Homer

Around the Peninsula
Soroptimists meeting slatedKCHS to hold spring concertBlood Bank to hold couples day

City of Dearborn asked to close on Muslim holidays
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) Good Friday and Christmas are city holidays. Now, with a large Muslim population living in Dearborn, local leaders of the faith are asking: Why not shut down for our holidays as well?

Running feeds Texas seminarian's body, mind, spirit
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) In what he calls his ''Mother Teresa Run,'' Roger Joslin looks for the divine in the faces of everyone he meets. When ''Running With Alms,'' the Austin seminarian takes along a few dollars to help those in need.

Southern Baptists concerned over slow growth rate
NASHVILLE (AP) The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, grew slightly last year in members and new congregations but at a slower rate than the previous 12 months.

Lakers clinch Pacific crown
PORTLAND, Ore. Shaquille O'Neal says the turmoil has been set aside. The Los Angeles Lakers are in playoff mode.

Sports Briefs
Whalers take third at HomerAFC West will be active on ChristmasBarnett says those at 2001 party share blameRoddick wins 10th straight match

UConn's Gordon goes pro
STORRS, Conn. Ben Gordon always expected to be in the NBA next season. The national title he helped Connecticut win made his decision even easier.

Does Phil have the Zen for Ten?
For Phil Jackson, this could be the perfect playoffs. If the stars align and the earth rotates right, he can humiliate Jeff Van Gundy in the first round, de-deify Jerry West in the second round and torment Sacramento, Dallas or Minnesota in the conference finals.

Wind blows scores up at MCI Heritage
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) Cameron Beckman shot a 4-under-par 67 Thursday for the highest opening-round score for a leader in 14 years at the MCI Heritage.

Montreal still alive in series
BOSTON Montreal Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore was often overshadowed by Bruins counterpart Andrew Raycroft in the first four games of their first-round playoff series.

There's track, but there's no field
If the high school track season in Alaska were a sprinter, it would be known for incredibly slow starts out of the blocks followed by a furious attempt the make up time before the finish line.